Kiss My Knits!

And I had a great time. We got to see our friends, and their kids are adorable. Example one and Example two. Yes, that’s my Swiss Army knife, but he cut himself on a tree, not my knife, I swear. And yes, that is my sheep blanket, which is holding up well through repeated machine washings. It was a narrow scrape, but I managed to avoid “baby fever” and will stick with just the one I have now.

We started out late on the trip up and so we missed an item on my timetable – I thought we could stop and have dinner in Richmond, maybe hit World of Mirth and Got Yarn. Due to a traffic delay caused by a wrecked car-carrying 18-wheeler around Durham, it was 7:15 by the time we hit Richmond and those stores were closed. We elected to keep driving. Good thing, too. We hit bad patches of traffic a couple of times and then took the 50 fork of 50/301 (wrong!) and so it was midnight by the time we reached our friends’ house. I was exhausted, as I had done all the driving since my husband doesn’t like to drive my car. He’s a foot taller than me and the car is a bit tight for him. We hadn’t made reservations, and by the time we arrived, the hotels were all booked. Apparently they’re next to bars, and people drink until they’re plastered and then rent rooms for the night. So we wound up staying with our friends, which was nice.

We hit Bowie and Annapolis the next day, including stops at Yarn Garden (I needed #6 doublepointeds for the top of a hat) and some brewing shop (my husband and his friend brew beer). My friend and I had a good heart-to-heart in the car while the guys went in. It left me more depressed than I was before, but I’m sure it was still good to let a lot of those feelings out.

Then it was off to the waterfront to wander around and eat sushi. A good time was had by all, although I was so exhausted that I know I looked like a zombie, and my friends asked several times what was wrong. Well, I’d had about 5 hours sleep after a tiring day and am walking around in 90+ degree heat. I was trying to soldier on and be a good guest, and I think I did all right, but I was utterly wiped out. I kind of figured that if their 3-year-old could keep it together, so could I.

We started back home on Sunday, and this time we arrived in Richmond at 12:15. We decided to stop and grab lunch and maybe try World of Mirth again. We got close, and it was very crowded. Whaddya know, it was the Carytown watermelon festival! So we parked and walked around.

We found 17 bucks in cash on the street when we came out of an antique shop. I was flummoxed. It had clearly fallen out of someone’s pocket. We waited around for a while, holding it clearly in our hand, to see if anyone came by looking at the ground or inquiring. They didn’t. With no way to find the owner, we decided that it would be okay to use it, but only if we spent it all at the festival. So as we wandered, we gave a few bucks to the humane society, firefighter’s fund, etc. and did leave it all in Richmond. I still felt guilty, but I honestly didn’t know what else to do.

Anyway, we ate some watermelon, hit some stands and stores, and generally had fun. When we were roasted to an even crisp, we got back in the car and drove home. We listened to Harry Potter in the car on the trip, and got as far as chapter ten. Good times.

Our daughter apparently had a good time with her grandmother. They swam every day, and she went to a play and to Mass, so she had some new experiences. I’ll be picking her up shortly.

In knitting news, I finished the vegan Jayne hat. Someone ordered one from cotton, as she is vegan and didn’t want a wool one, but also didn’t want acrylic. I loooooove this cotton. It’s Araucania Nature Cotton, the easiest cotton I’ve worked with. It’s not tiring on the hands like the other variegated South American offering I’ve worked with, Manos Stria. The pompom on this hat is a little droopy, which is just the lack of spring in the cotton, but the hat itself feels very good and is surprisingly resilient. I’m pleased with how it turned out. The only thing I’m considering is getting some fray check to paint on the ends of the ties so they don’t unravel.

So, all in all, a wonderful weekend. Can’t wait to do it again!

My daughter is off at her grandparents, and my hubby and I are having our first vacation together in years. We’re off to Easton Maryland to visit our college roommates. They were maid of honor and best man at our wedding, and I admit we set them up. Now they’re married with two kids.

Those wedding guru vibes just never stop, baby.

I hope we can find some good yarn shops in Virginia along the way, but I can’t in good conscience make the hubby sit around and wait too long, since we’ve only got the weekend. We’re prone to pull over on a whim and take forever to get where we’re going, given the choice. This’ll be a fun adventure. I’m looking forward to it.

Catch y’all on the rebound!

I don’t know why, but I find it hilarious that somehow, the Livejournal knitting community version of the Firefly Jayne hat rant I posted is on Google results page one when you type in Jayne hat.

Behold, the power of Livejournal!

When was sick, I sent her a little care package. My daughter saw me doing it, and I explained. Now she has her dolls act it out.

Her: “This is Angel, but she’s not a real angel. She’s sick so she has to go to bed and I’m going to give her some medicine. Go to bed, Angel! You should rest! She can fly! But she’s not a real angel. Angel lives in (state) and we can go see her there. She has to lie down! Lie down, Angel!”

So , have fun flying, rest when you’re sick, and apparently my daughter will be visiting you at some point.

I’m running low on orange yarn. I’ve definitely got enough to finish all my current orders and maybe a couple more, but I like to be over-prepared. My seller seems to be out. Time to do a little legwork.

Crossposted to and my own journal,

Yes, it’s unattractive to gloat, and yet I confess I did a little victory dance.

Remember my Jayne hat rant about fair prices for fair work? And the guy who wrote me, got quoted $35 and then bid on a $12 hat on eBay?

Well, the hat went up to $25 and he lost the auction. He then wrote me and paypalled me to secure his place on my list.

Yeah, I feel like I win – but I also feel like all of us win. Fair price for quality goods! Yeah!

After she commented in the community about the whole Jayne hat pricing thing, I popped over to knitter and fellow Firefly fan ‘s journal to take a look around. Turns out she coveted the same gorgeous cabled “Eris” sweater that I did. Someone gifted her with the pattern, and I commented that that was really sweet of them.

So how did she respond? Why, she said, “I’ve been wanting to do something to thank you for posting up the Jayne pattern, but didn’t know what. Now I do!” and she bought me the pattern! I ask you, is that thoughtful or what? I’m really excited about it, and can picture myself working on it in the cold winter months in a ski lodge by a crackling fire.

All right, I don’t ski, and we don’t have a fireplace. But substitute “Law and Order” and “hot cocoa” and it’s just as good! I’m totally psyched about this. Thanks so much, !

I popped over to eBay to look at spinning fiber (like I’ve got time for that) and my brain stopped for a minute when I saw this. used to give me hell for wanting to knit with every kind of animal imaginable. I just somehow didn’t imagine… raccoon.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Raccoon-spinning-fiber-Exotic-yarn-to-spin-Soft_W0QQitemZ8176960134QQcategoryZ36601QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I’m turning my heel! I took pics, but they’re pretty washed out. Thanks again!

I get inquiries every day about the Jayne hat, as seen in Firefly. I currently charge $35 including shipping. While the price I’m charging is honestly low considering you’re getting a hand-knitted custom-fit item direct from the designer, it’s still more than some fanboys are willing to pay. More to the point, there are others knitting Jayne hats who don’t value their time as highly as they should and so are pricing theirs lower. C’mon, knitters, your time’s worth more than 25 cents an hour. I’ve made 30 of these hats so far this summer. People WILL pay it if you ask it.

I gave the price and info to a guy yesterday. Today I see he’s bidding on a Jayne hat on eBay that’s going (so far) for $12.50.

I can’t blame the fanboys – if they can get something that looks similar somewhere else for cheaper, naturally that’s what they’re going to do. I wonder if I shot myself in the foot when I posted a pattern for the hat, even if it was sized for a woman’s noggin. I still subscribe to the “information wants to be free” theory, and just trust that people are honest and only using the pattern for their personal use.

Why does it cost so much? Click here to find out.